1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to retractable awnings, and more particularly to a retractable awning for use on a recreational vehicle with the awning being particularly useful over a slide-out unit found in some recreational vehicles, mobile homes and the like.
2. Description of the Known Art
Many relatively new mobile homes, recreational vehicles or the like are provided with a large rectangular opening in one side wall thereof in which a box-like enclosure commonly referred to as a "slide-out unit" is disposed for slidable movement between a retracted and extended position. When the slide-out unit is extended, it forms a perpendicular extension from the side wall of the mobile home, thereby enlarging the internal usable space. When the unit is retracted, it is drawn into the interior of the mobile home and the unit is normally only retracted when the mobile home is transported. When the slide-out unit is retracted, an outer wall of the slide-out unit, which is parallel with the side wall in which the unit is mounted, becomes coplanar with the side wall. One problem with slide-out units has resided in the fact that debris such as leaves, blowing trash and the like will frequently collect on the top of the slide-out unit while the unit is extended, and when the unit is retracted into the interior of the mobile home, the debris is also brought into the interior.
It should also be noted that the outer wall of slide-out units frequently has a window therein, and it is sometimes desirable to provide a retractable awning for the window. While retractable awnings are available which may be used for such windows, they are limited in use to providing protection only for the window.
Awnings for recreational vehicles having slide-out units are known in the art, with an example of such being disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,056, which is of common ownership with the present application. In the awning disclosed in that patent, an awning sheet is secured along an inner edge to the side of the mobile home or the like, with the opposite edge being secured to a torsionally biased roll bar that is rotatably disposed on the outer ends of support arms pivotally mounted to the outer face of the slide-out unit. As the slide-out unit is extended, so too is the awning sheet so that it automatically covers the top of the unit when the unit is extended. The awning has the added advantage of being pivotable away from the outer wall of the slide-out unit so as to additionally serve as an awning over the window in the outer wall of the slideout unit.
While the awning described in the aforenoted U.S. Patent has met with notable success, there has been an expressed need for an awning that forms a cover for a slide-out unit, serves as an awning over a window in the slide-out unit and works independently of the slide-out unit so that the awning is not always deployed upon an extension of the slide-out unit.
It is to satisfy the additional desires of consumers having vehicles or mobile homes with slide-out units that the present invention has been developed.